Friday, September 15, 2017

The Bloody Pit #59 - DOCTOR WHO & THE DALEKS (1965)

For nearly fifty-five years the British science fiction
television show Doctor Who has been a staple of geek culture. Admired for it's
imaginative stories, if not always for it's high budget, the show has managed
over time to be so popular that it has reached a status that often surpasses
other science fiction franchises. These days being a fan of Doctor Who is
pretty mainstream, with the public at large now having a good idea of the
show's premise and stars. Such was not the case decades ago when fans begged
for the show's return and fandom had to sustain itself on repeated viewings of
the episodes produced from 1963 to 1989. Re-watching the Doctor battle
Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Sontarans, Silurians and a host of other villains became
fan's comfort viewing as they hoped for new adventures. Even if the story was a
well know one, it was still proper Doctor Who and therefore a fun time!

But there is a strange tributary that branches off from main
river of classic Who that was, and still is, generally ignored by fans. In the
mid-1960's a film production company saw the incredible popularity of the TV
show and thought the time was right for the Doctor and his companions to make
the leap to the big screen. Hammer Horror star Peter Cushing was cast in the
lead role, huge sets were built and, before you could activate the Tardis
controls, a pair of cinematic adventures appeared. These two films were
successes on their own and are the first instance of a Who story being shot in
color. Cushing is his usual excellent self but you might have noticed that when
images of the character's various incarnations are assembled, his face is never
included. Often referred to as the Forgotten Doctor, Peter Cushing should be
better known for his entertaining turn in the role and so, we present this
podcast.

Stephen Sullivan and I have decided to draw some much deserved
attention to these movies and in this episode, we focus on the first of them as
this alternate Doctor Who discovers the big daddy of Who villains - The Daleks!
By the middle of the 1960's the television show had made the mutated,
mechanical monsters a (British) household name so they were the natural choice
for the move to theaters. With the addition of color and the widescreen imagery
(not to mention a lot more money) the relentless bad guys were more formidable
looking than ever and I'm sure caused more than a few nightmares for years
afterward. And in the theater there was no couch to hide behind!

Join Stephen and me as we glide through this first cinematic
Who tale. We talk about the story, compare it to the TV episodes it's adapted
from, discuss the production, point out things missing from the finished
picture and just generally geek out over how cool everything looks. We lament
the fact that this Doctor isn't really the one we know and love from the
television show while at the same time enjoying this separate version of a
beloved hero.

The podcast can be reached for comment at
thebloodypit@gmail.com and Stephen and his work can be found at his website.
Thank you for downloading and listening!